


Like a Pair of Dice

by Achika



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Film Noir, M/M, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2018-10-15 20:35:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10557318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achika/pseuds/Achika
Summary: Dean used to be a cop. Now he's a private detective and the man who forced his career change just walked into his office asking for help.





	1. Chapter 1

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Dean says, when he sees who just let themselves into his office.

"I need your help, Dean," Seth _fucking_ Rollins says, like he's not worried Dean is going to break his face. Or his arm. Any pieces of Seth that Dean could get his hands on, really.

"I don't _care_ ," Dean says.

How did Seth even get in, anyway? If Sami forgot to lock the door on his way out _again_ , Dean was...well. He was going to do _something._

Seth is really pushing his luck, coming to Dean like this. Dean's not gotten into any fights for almost two years now, if you didn't count the dudes who throw punches at him because they're pissed they got caught cheating, which Dean doesn't.  The last time was...well, the last time had been Seth, too. Noble and Mercury had had to pull him off Seth. They'd been outside the precinct and Dean was lucky no one had filed charges.

"I don't know what help you expect from a...what was it you called me in the report? A Psychopath who was better off face down in a ditch than with a badge? Yeah, that rings some bells," Dean says.

Seth stops looking upset and sneers at Dean, all hoity-toity disdain. "You were unstable,"

Dean grins, back on familiar ground. Seth goes to take a step back, but stops himself. "There's the two-timing bastard we all know and love. I was wondering where you were hiding. But then again, you've always been a coward, Seth,"

Seth rolls his eyes. "If you're not going to help me, I'll just find someone else. I'm sure Shane will listen,"

Now _that_ gets Dean's attention, because there's only one Shane that matters.

"Shane McMahon? What business do _you_ have with _Shane McMahon_?"

Shane's not shown his face for...seven? years now, Dean thinks, not since his sister and her husband got the drop on him last time. He's more rumor than man, at this point. And rumor has it that he's in Singapore or China or some shit anyway, so Seth's out of luck if he's barking up that tree.

"Hunter and Stephanie dropped me," Seth says bitterly. "I'm not going to let them get away with it,"

Dean laughs. And laughs. And laughs some more. Oh, this is fucking _rich_.

"So you don't care about them ruining _other_ people's lives, in fact you'll line up to help them, but the second the tables get turned oh well that's just Too Far," Dean says. He mimes wiping away a tear. "Excuse me if I'm not exactly sympathetic here,"

"So you're not going to help?" Seth asks. He sounds disappointed but not surprised.

"Fuck off, Seth. Don't try  to darken my doorway again, my secretary will just kick you out," Dean says.

Seth's expression is blank, when he turns to leave. He walks stiff, like he's hiding something. Dean looks out his office window to the street below. It takes longer than it should have for Seth to get down there, and Dean knows why when he sees Noble and Mercury rush to Seth's side as soon as he gets out the door to hand Seth a crutch, and Seth stops acting like he isn't hurt and limps to the waiting car.

 

Dean wakes up from a nightmare when Sami walks into the office. Sami puts a bag of something on the desk and pulls up the blinds, letting the sun in and banishing the last vestiges of the song rattling through Dean's brain.

Sami had been a godsend, when he'd shown up at Dean's office out of the blue with the Help Wanted section in his hand and talking a mile a minute until Dean had to give in and hire him just so he'd shut up.

Dean groans and covers his eyes, his head pounding in protest at the sudden brightness.         

"What did I ever do to you?" Dean asks, feeling his stomach lurch.

Sami shoves the small trashcan into Dean's hands, and Dean dry heaves a couple times but doesn't actually vomit.

"How much did you drink last night?" Sami asks, eyeing empty bottles strewn around.

"Fuck, I don't know. Seth came by last night. I told him to fuck off," Dean says.

Sami hands Dean a donut from the bag on the desk, once it looks like he's not going to throw up everywhere.

"Have you talked to Roman?" Sami asks, concerned.

"Rome doesn't need to know," Dean says pointedly.

Roman's gotten over what Seth did, for the most part. He's got a kid, he can't just dwell on the past.

He doesn't need to get dragged back down into this.

"You know I love you, man, but this really isn't in my job description," Sami says.

Dean laughs and takes a bite of the donut Sami gave him.

"Nah, your job's to look pretty and keep my schedule straight,"

Sami flicks Dean's forehead, hard, and rolls his eyes.

 

No matter what Roman would say, if you asked Dean, he's done a pretty decent job of not thinking about Seth Fucking Rollins. Not about his stupid laugh, not about that time the three of them had gotten drunk and bleached part of Seth's hair, and definitely not about Seth getting Dean fired from the force.

But now that Seth's come back and shattered the illusion that Dean's moved on, it's _all Dean can think about._

It takes about three days of it, before Dean can't stand it anymore and calls.

"And just what is your plan to take down Hunter and Stephanie _anyway,_ you motherfucker?" Dean says instead of any kind of polite greeting.

"I thought you weren't interested," Seth says, not thrown at all. He says it innocently, like he didn't know Dean would break down and help, despite everything, because Seth had asked him to. Like he hadn't planned it this way on purpose just to torture Dean a bit, just because he could.

Dean knows Seth better than that.

"I'm in, OK? _If_ the plan's a good one. But we leave Rome out of this," Dean says. Roman will yell at him later, he's sure, but Dean's not going to be responsible for telling little JoJo why Daddy's in the hospital if things go sour.

"Deal," Seth says. "I'll be by at some point tonight to explain,"

"Feel free to bring the crutches," Dean says.

There's a pause and then Seth sighs. "I _told_ them to wait around the corner,"

"Sure is hard to find good help these days," Dean says cheerfully. Seth ignores the jab.

"I'll see you later. Oh, and Dean? My plans are _always_ good ones," Seth says before hanging up.

"Mother _fucker_ ," Dean says, staring at the phone in his hand. 


	2. Chapter 2

"Let's get one thing clear," Dean says when Seth hobbles into his office later. "You're a piece of shit and this is not me Forgiving and it sure as hell ain't me Forgetting. The enemy of my enemy is my Uneasy Ally Who I Still Kind of Want to Murder and all that,"

Seth rolls his eyes. "Do you see me asking for forgiveness? If there was anyone else dumb enough or crazy enough to take on the McMahons with me, believe me I wouldn't be _here,"_

Seth gives a Look to the scattered take out bags and beer cans and paperwork that makes up Dean's office.

Dean had thought about cleaning before Seth arrived, but then he'd decided against it. It's not like Seth hadn't seen him at his worst already.

"Let's hear your plan, Mr. Tactical Genius," Dean says, once Seth's situated himself comfortably on the office couch.

"The McMahon business portfolio is pretty diversified. They've got their fingers in a lot of pies, some legal and some not. But Stephanie and Hunter have their favorites. And that's where the Good stuff is kept," Seth says.

"Like what?" Dean asks.

"Things like plans for future operations. Things like the blackmail material they have on people. All the dirty little details that could get them in trouble if they got out," Seth says.

"...And you can't get them yourself because if they caught you they wouldn't stop with a busted up knee this time," Dean says, the shape of Seth's plan starting to solidify in Dean's brain.

"Bingo," Seth says with just a touch of bitterness.

"My skill set hasn't included stealing since I was 15 and stopped pick-pocketing people. Just putting that out there," Dean says.

"So you're saying you can't do it?" Seth says, raising an eyebrow at him in challenge.

"Fuck you, don't pull that reverse psychology shit on me. I already said I was in, I'm just pointing out a fact," Dean snaps. He starts pacing, sometimes that's the only way to get his brain to slow down enough for him to think, and Dean definitely needs to think here.

Seth smiles, far too pleased with himself for Dean's peace of mind.

 

So Dean starts surveillance on some of Hunter and Stephanie's favorite business holdings, watching who comes and goes and starts narrowing down Seth's list.

It takes a few days, but Dean manages to narrow the list down to one location. A club that the two of them frequent a lot, built on discretion and secrecy. And sex.

"Why am I not surprised they own a dirty sex club," Dean says to himself.

Seth could have at least warned Dean.  It's not like Seth's ever been shy.  Dean's never been shy either, though, and he has an infiltration to plan.

 

 

Sami's perched on Dean's desk because he doesn't have a concept of professionalism, but Dean doesn't mind because he's got his feet up on his desk next to Sami, because Dean doesn't have a concept of professionalism either.

Sami's a good sounding board and he sees things Dean doesn't see, sometimes. And it's not like either of them _really_ care about getting papers filed on time.

"The only problem is that not any random schmuck off the street can get in. It's all _exclusive_ kinky shit," Dean says with an eyeroll. Of course the rich schmucks have to flaunt their kinks. He doesn't see what's wrong with just doing what you want without all the frills.  He's been wracking his brains, trying to think of a way to get in that wouldn't immediately end in him getting made. 

"Wait, do you mean The Kingdom?" Sami asks.

Dean perks up immediately. "Why _Sami_ , I didn't know you had it in you,"

Sami seems to realize what he's revealed and turns bright red.

"It's not-! Look, I just know a guy, OK?" Sami says, trying to defend himself. Dean doesn't buy it for a second.

"Could you get me in?" Dean asks.

"I mean, I _could_ , probably. But I -" Sami protests.

"Cool. So tonight, then?" Dean says.

"Dean no," Sami says.

"Dean yes. It'll be fine," Dean says.

 

The Kingdom is some swanky shit. It'd be enough to make Dean feel self-conscious, if Dean gave a shit about what anyone McMahon-related thought about him.

The doorman is a not so discreetly disguised bouncer, a large Irishman with crazy muscles who looks uncomfortable in his dress clothes. His goatee is stupid, and Dean barely refrains from telling him so.

"Sami?" he asks, surprised. "Haven't seen you around lately. You're not..."

"No, Sheamus. Whatever you're thinking...No," Sami says, interrupting.

"Good on you, then. Who's your...friend?" Sheamus asks, giving Dean a measuring look.

"Me? I'm nobody, just a bit of rough trade Sami here picked up, you know how it is," Dean says, waggling his eyebrows lewdly and draping an arm around Sami's shoulders, just because it's fun.

Roman would have played along, but Sami just looks kind of embarrassed.

"Oh my god," Sami says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't take you anywhere,"

Sheamus just rolls his eyes at Dean. "Your funeral, fella. You guys go on in,"

"What did that mean?" Dean asks, after they're inside. "You some kind of Black Widow or something?"

Dean likes Sami almost as much as he likes Roman, but this might be the most _interesting_ Sami's ever been.

"Or something." Sami mutters. He's looking around suspiciously as they make their way to the main Entertainment Room. "Look, there's a _reason_ I didn't want to come here -"

"Sami, Sami, Sami," Someone says, and Sami just _stops_ , mid-step and mid-sentence.

The man who steps out of the darkness and into Sami's personal space bubble grins, like they're old friends, and puts a hand on the back of Sami's neck.

Did they get clocked already? Dean starts to formulate escape plans. Even if they're not found out, Dean knows this isn't good because Sami's like Dean, in that he's full of restless energy and usually works through it by fidgeting or talking too expressively with his hands. Dean has never, in the entire time he's known Sami, ever seen Sami be as still as he is with this man's hand on him.

"Kevin," Sami says, barely more than a sigh. Resigned, but relieved too. Sami knew that this was going to happen and was just waiting for it.

Sami called him Kevin, so this must be Owens, one of Hunter's new top guys. How on earth do they know each other?

"If you missed me, all you had to do was say so, you know," Kevin says, too kindly to be anything but mocking. Sami looks conflicted. "I'm busy tonight, but I'm sure I could pencil you in,"

Neither of them seem to remember that Dean exists, too busy staring into each other's eyes and not blinking to pay attention to the outside world. This is some bad mojo right here, Dean feels it in his bones. He knows that kind of obsession intimately, and it's never done anyone any good. Dean's about to interfere - to say something witty and scathing, maybe he'll smack Sami on the ass as they walk away just to piss Kevin off - but Sami collects himself, wraps Kevin's tie around his hand, and pulls him in closer.

"A tie? Really, Kev? We both know that's not you," Sami says, chiding, and doesn't bother to stop the teasing quirk of his lips.

Kevin huffs, annoyed. "Important people wear ties, Sami. Not that you'd know anything about that,"

Kevin glances away from Sami momentarily and his gaze lands on Dean, who's still watching everything raptly, waiting for the shoe to drop. Kevin frowns. He's about to say something when Sami tugs on his tie again. Sami presses his forehead to Kevin's as soon as his attention is back where Sami wants it.

"Uh-uh. Look at me, Kev. Only me," Sami says.

Dean's starting to wonder why he'd ever thought about interfering.  Clearly Sami can handle Kevin just fine.

"See, I think you missed me too. Not that you'd ever admit it. You could have just ignored me, you know? But we _both_ know that wasn't going to happen. You want me in the ropes again?" Sami asks. "Then we go now,"

"What's your word?" Kevin asks, rote like he's asked a million times and already knows the answer.

"Generico," Sami says. Sami smiles when he says it, clearly a taunt.

Dean doesn't know what 'Generico' means, but it clearly means something to the two of them because Kevin looks like Sami just knifed him in the gut. Must not have been the answer Kevin was expecting.

Sami pulls on Kevin's tie and starts walking towards the roped off area where an arrogant looking leggy blonde is literally getting her boots licked. Kevin follows unsteadily for a few steps before the bravado seeps back into his body language like he's pulled himself back together. Sami looks back at Dean and mouths 'one hour' to him.

Bless Sami, literally taking one for the team. Dean will have to buy him a beer later.

So he's got an hour with one less McMahon Goon keeping an eye on things.  Dean scans the area looking for back hallways that'll lead to the offices where all the good info will be kept. There's erotic art on the walls, more explicit towards the roped off Show area and more artsy towards what Dean assumes are the offices and employee areas. And right in between the two is a photo of a body that Dean recognizes. It was too intimate for a Show piece, but Hunter and Stephanie had clearly wanted to display their golden boy prominently, even if you couldn't see his face. No one could know it was Seth except the three of them. And Dean, who suddenly wants this whole thing over as fast as possible. 

The trick to sneaking around is just to act like you belong. Yeah, this club is full of snobs who take sex way too seriously, but Dean can be just as cocky as anyone.

He slips down a hallway.

At the end of the hour Dean's waiting out front smoking a cigarette with the bouncer, a flash drive in his sock.  Sheamus isn't a bad dude, once you get past the stupid facial hair.

"I get that he has to go, ya know?" Sheamus says, releasing a puff of smoke. "But we just got married,"

"Not cool," Dean sympathizes.

Sami chooses that moment to exit the Kingdom. He looks like he's gone a couple rounds with a bear. There's a cut at the edge of his mouth that looks like it's only just stopped bleeding. His hair is curling from sweat, and he's got rope burns peeking out from the wrists of his jacket.

Sami shakes himself out, and keeps on walking.

"I don't want to hear it, Sheamus, and if you tell your husband I swear to God..." Sami says, holding up a hand  to silence Sheamus as he passes them.

Sheamus just shakes his head. Dean drops his cigarette to the ground and stomps it out.

"Looks like we've gotta go," Dean says, and smacks Sheamus companionably on the shoulder.  "Hope you work it out with your fella,"

Sami's silent, contemplative, on the way back to the office.

"So I take it he's the reason you quit your old job with no notice?" Dean asks as he drives. 

Sami's mouth twists unhappily. It looks alien on him. "Of course you know about that,"

"Uh, _yeah_. Cute redhead shows up on _my_ dark doorstep, practically begging for the job I barely remember putting an ad out for? Too good to be true, my man.  Like I wasn't going to look in to you," Dean retorts.  

Once burned, twice shy, and Dean wasn't about to let another pretty face fool him. Luckily, Sami had turned out to be on the level even if he did come with enough baggage for an entire airline, and Dean had gotten the best - only - secretary he'd ever had out of the deal.

Sami laughs. It's not happy, but it's a start. "True. Thanks for not pushing me about it, I guess,"

"He seems like a dick," Dean says, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

Dean's good at talking. Back before he and Roman actually started getting along, before they were brothers, it had been one of the few positive things Roman had had to say about Dean. But he's not sure what to say to Sami now. Insulting the Evil Ex seems like a solid choice.

"He wasn't always," Sami says, but he pauses. "I think,"

When they arrive back at the office, Sami sighs.

"I'm taking tomorrow off," Sami says.

Sami taking the day off is probably a healthier choice than the bender Dean had gone on with Seth showed up at the office.

"That's fine. Maybe I'll clean up the office. Surprise you," Dean says with a shrug.

Sami laughs for real at that. "Yeah, I'm not holding my breath,"

 

Seth shows up not long after Dean calls him to come look at the info they got.

"This is great," Seth says, scrolling through the documents and pictures on Dean's laptop.

"Wait, wait," Dean says, leaning in to look at the screen better, a hand on Seth's shoulder.  "This one. What's this one?" he says, pointing at an icon named Tokyo.

"I don't know. Hunter and Steph don't have any business in Japan," Seth says with a frown, and clicks it.

Up pops a bunch of pictures, taken from security cameras. They're all of a middle aged guy with grey hair, going about his business. Having dinner with friends. On the Bullet Train. Conducting meetings.

But Dean knows who that is, and by Seth's sharp intake of breath he recognizes him too.

"Well, shit," Dean says with an impressed whistle.

Seth looks up at Dean, smirking.

"We just found Shane McMahon,"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha, wow it's been so long since i updated this. Oops.

They’ve spent hours diggings through the files when Dean’s phone rings. He looks at the display and winces.

“I’ve got to take this,” Dean says. Seth nods for him to do his thing and stretches a bit, looking grateful for the brief break.

"You've been ditching my calls," Roman says, before Dean can even say anything.

"Aw don't be like that, man, I've just been busy with a case you know?" Dean deflects.

"Tell me about it," Roman says.

"Just some rich asshole who thinks he can fuck around and not have anything happen," Dean says.

It's not a lie, per se, but so reductive that it doesn't actually mean anything. Seth laughs.

Roman's quiet on the other end of the phone. Dean can hear him messing with dishes.

"Ain't that always the way," Roman says, half-distracted.  "Look, I gotta make Jojo's dinner. Don't be a stranger. I mean it,"

"Yeah," Dean says, feeling guilty. "Tell the monster hi for me,"

Dean hangs up and Seth's watching him with those big sad eyes of his.

"How is Roman?" Seth asks quietly.

"Don't push it," Dean says. Seth doesn't get to ask about Roman and Jojo.

He goes back to the computer to get back to work.

Seth takes the hint, though he seems more subdued. They go through the pictures in the Tokyo file one by one, trying to figure out where, exactly, Shane is and why, exactly, Stephanie and Hunter were spying on him from half a world away. It's slow progress until Seth stops Dean abruptly.

"Wait. I know this guy," Seth says, practically leaning out of his chair in surprise.

He points to one of the other people in the background of one of the Shane pictures. Of course Seth recognized him, the guy's hard to miss because he looks like a _fucking Armani model_. 

"That's Finn," Seth says. He frowns, confused. "How does Finn know Shane?"

"He one of Hunter's?" Dean asks.

"No.  I didn't think so, at least. I met him in rehab," Seth says, and rubs at his knee subconsciously.

"What do you know about him?" Dean asks.

"He's got a better sense of humor about his injury than I do? I don't know, man, we're not buddies. We just trade rehab stories sometimes," Seth frowns at the photo on the screen.

There's no captions or identifying information, but it's some fancy, high-roller get together in Tokyo full of good looking people in tuxes and gowns. This Finn character is in the background, smirking and holding up a champagne flute in celebration with whatever Japanese businessman he's talking to.

It's too much of a coincidence for it to actually _be_ a coincidence.

“Maybe I can get him to talk to me,” Seth says.

“I don’t know, he doesn’t look the type to open up about stuff like that,” Dean says.

“I’ve got to try, don’t I? He’ our best lead,” Seth asks.

“And what are you going to do, go up to him and say ‘Hey can you get me a meeting with Shane McMahon? I saw a picture of you two in the same room once’? That’s stupid,” Dean says, thumping the back of the computer chair.

“There are more subtle ways than that, thanks,” Seth says, glaring at Dean.

“You gonna suck his cock like you did Daddy Hunter’s, then?” Dean says.

Seth leaps out of the chair like a cat, launching himself right at Dean. They fall to the ground with a heavy thud.

“Fuck you,” Seth hisses and punches Dean square across the jaw.

Dean grins. Finally. They struggle for control for a little bit, but Dean gets the upper hand and flips them over so that Dean’s on top now. Seth cries out in pain and grips Dean’s arm tight.

“Fuck, my knee,” Seth hisses, his face contorted.

Dean freezes instantly, some deep instinctual thing. He stares down at Seth, the both of them panting from adrenaline. Seth starts to laugh, lets his grip go soft. He looks up at Dean with those big brown eyes through his lashes and -

“God you always were an easy mark,” Seth says breathlessly. He shifts under Dean to get more comfortable.

“You weasely son of a –“ Dean says, his fingers twitching with the urge to wrap around Seth’s neck.

“Did you expect anything less?” Seth asks, raising an eyebrow up at him.

“No. Not really,” Dean admits.

Seth looks sad, for just a second, and it makes Dean remember how easy things used to be. How easy it was to kiss Seth and forget everything else. Which makes it hard to remember why he _shouldn’t_ do it now. Fucking Seth and his fucking stupid sad eyes.

"What the hell is going on here?" Roman says from the doorway, and Dean hates himself for forgetting that Roman still has a key to the office.

Seth startles, still trapped under Dean and wide-eyed like a spooked rabbit.

"I knew I fucking recognized his laugh on the phone. What is he doing here, Dean?" Roman asks.

"Did you teleport here or what? Jesus Christ, How fast did you drive, brother?" Dean deflects, glancing at his wrist where a watch would be if he was the watch wearing type. He gets up off of Seth, slow. No need to make things worse by acting like a 15 year old caught by his parents with his hand up the neighbor girl’s skirt.

Roman's blocking the door, which means Seth can't escape. Seth gets up anyway, using the computer chair for support, and tries to hide the wince when he knee twinges for real. Roman sees it anyway, Dean can tell, because his eyes narrow before he zeroes in on Dean.

"Dean," Roman says reproachfully. "What. Is. He. Doing. Here?"

"I'm -" Seth says, and Roman turns his sharp gaze to him.

"I wasn't talking to you," Roman says flatly.

"He's a _client_ , Rome," Dean says. He motions to the computer, and the murderboard Sami had helped set up like ‘See, Rome? Totally innocent reasons for him to be here’

Roman raises an eyebrow.

"And what made you decide to take the case, huh?"

Dean doesn’t have an answer that won’t make Roman give him the disappointed look. He’s gotten too good at that since his kid was born.

“I…need to go,” Seth mutters. He leaves the crutches behind when he walks up to the door Roman’s guarding. Roman gives him a cold stare for a long moment to make him sweat before letting him pass. He mouths “Sorry,” to Dean over Roman’s shoulder before getting his ass down the stairs as fast as his knee will let him, leaving Dean alone with a disapproving Roman.

Seth is a traitor.

Roman shuts the door. He doesn’t say anything, just walks over and gives Dean a hug.

**Author's Note:**

> I said I would write a cop AU! It turns out I LIED and this turned into a Film Noir instead. Oops. 
> 
> Follow me on Twitter @withoutthesour for more ridiculous wrestle talk and potential sneak peeks of what I'm writing.


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